BAFTA-nominated Author, Actor, and Screen Writer Nathan Bryon, has teamed up with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the UK’s largest train company, to embark on a new adventure across the network, as inspiration for his next short story, “Stories of Rail.”

This comes as new research from GTR has found that train travel can be so much more than a simple commute. Two in five(42%) UK adults find that train travel inspires their creative thoughts, and 7 in 10 of us are creatively inspired by the scenery we pass through while on the train. Nathan’s journey will take him from London Blackfriars to Brighton and onto Lewes, where he’ll draw inspiration from the people he meets, the landscapes he sees, and the atmosphere of stations along the way.

The research shows that one-third of travellers (36%) have experienced a core memory on the train, with three times as many Gen Z and Millennials (54%) experiencing this compared to those aged 55+ (18%). Nathan’s short story, titled ‘Stories of Rail’, will reflect and celebrate the memories that rail travel creates, showing that every stop is a story.

Children’s Author, Nathan Bryon, said: “I’m excited to be part of the Stories of Rail campaign and embark on this journey with Southern and Thameslink! The campaign is all about showing that value goes further than the ticket price – it’s also about the ideas, inspiration, and experiences you find along the way. I’m looking forward to seeing what creativity the journey sparks, and capturing those moments in my story.”

This unexpected location to get creative is reflected further as nearly 1 in 10 UK adults (9%) turn to creative writing on the train, a number that jumps to 1 in 5 (19%) for Gen Z, as they believe the journey itself is a creative act, with two-thirds (65%) feeling that train travel inspires creative thought. Both the Southern and Thameslink networks have fantastic destinations that could inspire all travellers through scenic landscapes, historic cities, wild areas to explore, and seafronts to enjoy.

Despite typically being viewed as busier commuter times, Gen Z admit that morning (26%) and evening (20%) are often the times when they feel the most creative. Whereas Millennials and Gen X see the reason why they’d feel more creative on the train, being that it is a small window of time to themselves.

Louis Rambaud, Chief Customer Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway says: “This partnership with Nathan Bryon truly spotlights the beauty within train travel, which is exactly what our new value TV adverts aim to show. Train travel is a unique opportunity to observe, reflect, and be inspired, and our value fares allow families to explore new destinations with kids fares starting from £2, and people also being able to save with advance tickets.“

The “Stories of Rail” short story by Nathan Bryon will be released on Tuesday 23rd September for passengers to read across station screens, social media, station libraries, and online resources. This also coincides with the launch of the rail operator’s new value ads, which spotlight the incredible value across the Thameslink and Southern networks.